- Thursday night had normal sex with my boyfriend, I stupidly fell asleep immediately after when I usually go for a wee to obviously clear out any potential bacteria.

- Friday, woke up feeling kind of funny down there. Had to keep going to the bathroom all day. By the end of the day it had sort of subsided. But there was like a burning feeling behind my vaginal wall.

- Saturday, frequent trips to the bathroom had stopped and I just felt a kind of a burning/itchy/irritated feeling inside my vagina so I suspected I had thrush. Went to the pharmacy and got the Canesten thrush treatment. Worth noting though that I didn’t have any particular heavy or smelly discharge.

- Sunday, the frequent urination had come back more intensely and also still had the burning feeling inside my vagina, like just inside the entrance where the bladder would sit on the other side. No stinging or pain when actually urinating, which I’ve had before with cystitis many years ago.

- Monday, go to my docs who does a UTI dip stick test which comes back positive for white blood cells in my urine, meaning inflammation/infection is present. He prescribes me a 3 day course of MacroBID.

- Tuesday, have taken 3 out of 6 pills but not feeling any better. The most bothersome feeling is the pressure/irritation inside my vagina, like I can’t tell if it’s that or if it’s my bladder?! The frequency and urgency is still there and I can’t hold my wee for very long.

- Wednesday, today. The situation hasn’t improved.

I’ve never been a sufferer of UTI’s, so this is very out of the ordinary for me. But I’m feeling very distressed by this. I can barely eat anything because I’m so consumed by this feeling. Is it possible this is the start of IC and I should go back to a doctor and question it?

Hi Jessbee92,
I wouldn’t worry just yet as you can get cystitis from sex just due to the trauma on your bladder(I.e bruising)
Obviously, if symptoms persist I would definitely go back.
Also nhs Irvine testing is notoriously unreliable and white blood cells can indicate infection but from what I’ve read you need a seven day course from uncomplicated uti.
Hope this helps x

I’m UK based. I’ve had two trips to the walk in centre at the hospital and I visited my sexual health clinic today for a full screening to rule that out.

Symptoms have been present since Saturday. First urine test on Monday was positive for white blood cells so was prescribed 100mg of MacroBID on a 3 day course, second urine test today was negative for white blood cells, third test was positive for proteins so today have been prescribed with 200mg of Triptorelin. Though I’m pretty sure the protein is due to being dehydrated/not eating much and my kidneys are like wtf.

The pain today has been the strongest, this may be even more so because I am due on my period today/tomorrow. I can’t see my GP until next Friday, I haven’t been at work this past 4 days. The burning/gnawing feeling near/on my anterior wall is unbearable - paracetamol and ibuprofen are not helping and I’ve felt tempted to go to A&E. Co-codamol (codeine and paracetamol) is the only thing that sort of helps, but you can’t take it for too long as it has a high risk of addiction.

can’t stop shaking, I have barely eaten in the last few days. After much research and reading I am 85% convinced this is IC as my symptoms are exactly the same and there’s nothing else it could be.

Waiting lists in the UK to see an NHS urologist are months, I can’t bear the idea of not having answers/relief for months. More-so, I can’t bear the idea of this potentially being my life. Not being able to go out and enjoy things, be intimate with my boyfriend, possibly having to give up work (no idea how I’d afford to live).

Needless to say, I’m in a bad way. I’m terrified, in pain and scared about my future. Everything online says that this is a debilitating and life altering condition.

Sounds more like a UTI than IC, some are resistant to antibiotics and you need a minimum of 7 days on antibiotics for them to clear it up, usually a strong antibiotic! I’ve had to take them for 2-3 weeks before with a particular awkward infection. If it was IC you wouldn’t be having positive urine tests. Please remember it takes a minimum of 48hrs for antibiotics to reach a level in your body where they start working.

In the mean time please step away from dr google for the sake of your mental health (sorry that sounds harsher than it’s meant to). Take it easy and let your body recover from the infection.

Hi Jess, I know exactly what you are going through.
I have been suffering now for a few months, It starts just a few days before my period and after.
I also suffer from Interstitial cystitis.
I went to see my Consultant two weeks ago, he checked my vagina and I have a prolapse.
He suggested I go back to have a ring fitted but in the meantime he prescribed me some cream called OVESTIN - I insert into my vagina at night for 2/3 weeks then twice a week. It is starting to help. Unfortunately I am still peeing frequently.
I was so distressed over the weekend I went to see my GP, she prescribed me TOLTERODINE TARTRATE 2 mg they are supposed to relax my bladder. I only started them yesterday so not made any difference as yet, I’m crossing my fingers they do - I am still taking NITROFURANTOIN 50mg once a day prescribed by my consultant for my IS
I hope this helps you Jess, you must go back and see your GP.
Keep me updated. Take care.

This is almost identical to my story - drs said it was residual inflammation” from the infection. I never had an infection though even though I showed red and white blood cells, when they sent it away it never came back with any bacteria. Drs were no help whatsoever. After 4 months and lots of weeing and sore bladder/urethra I finally went to a functional nutritionist. She diagnosed me with a leaky gut - which Is when there are holes in the small intestine which means that food leaks out and the immune system goes crazy and tries to fight it by producing massive amounts of histamine. This, in my case, resulted in a massively inflamed bladder. It’s taken a few months to sort out but I’m almost there. If the drs don’t seem to be helping google leaky gut and try and find someone that can help you figure out if that could be the problem xxx

Update - today I saw a different specialist, after examination he says my uterus is 3 times in size and I have fibroids, this explains what I thought was UTI severe pain in my vagina. - I am going back tomorrow for an ultra sound depending on the results it can be treated or worst case he suggested a hysterectomy. Hope this information is helpful.

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